Original Medicare — Part A
Hospital coverage. Premium-free for most who paid Medicare taxes for 40 quarters. Covers inpatient hospital, skilled nursing, hospice.
Discuss thisOriginal Medicare, Medicare Advantage, Supplement, and Part D — without the late-night TV pitch.
Together they cover hospital, doctor, advantage bundles, and prescriptions. Each has rules.
When you turn 65, you have a seven-month Initial Enrollment Period centered on your birth month. Get it right the first time and you save thousands over the next two decades. Get it wrong and you may pay lifetime penalties. We’ll walk you through the right sequence.
You don’t need every part — but you need to choose. Here’s how the pieces fit together.
Hospital coverage. Premium-free for most who paid Medicare taxes for 40 quarters. Covers inpatient hospital, skilled nursing, hospice.
Discuss thisMedical coverage. Standard monthly premium ($174.70 in 2026, higher for high-income). Covers doctor visits, outpatient services, preventive care.
Discuss thisA private-carrier bundle replacing Parts A+B, usually including Part D. Often $0 premium with extras like vision, dental, and gym membership.
Discuss thisPairs with Original Medicare to cover the 20% Medicare doesn’t. Higher monthly premium, lower bills at the doctor — best for frequent users of care.
Discuss thisStandalone drug plans for those staying on Original Medicare. We’ll match the formulary to your actual prescription list.
Discuss thisDuring your Initial Enrollment Period (the 7 months around your 65th birthday), the Annual Enrollment Period (Oct 15–Dec 7), or a Special Enrollment Period after a qualifying event like a move.
Depends on health, doctors, budget, and risk tolerance. Advantage has lower premiums but more rules. Supplement has higher premiums but freedom to use any Medicare-accepting doctor. We’ll model both for your situation.
You can switch between Advantage plans yearly during AEP. Switching from Advantage to Supplement is harder — outside your initial guaranteed-issue window, you may need to medically qualify.
No. Medicare agents are paid by carriers and follow strict CMS rules. We’re held to higher disclosure standards than most insurance categories.
For Advantage plans, we check before recommending. For Supplement plans, network isn’t a factor — any doctor that accepts Medicare accepts your Supplement.
A 30-minute Medicare conversation could save you tens of thousands over the next two decades. It costs nothing, and the clock isn’t mine to run.